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Lepidovermia
Introduction One of the most unusual insect clades to ever exist is a group that seemingly defies ordinary insect morphlogy are the lepidovermians. One of the most successful insect clades alive, they have adapted to a wide range of lifestyles and habitats, adapting their unique body shape to a great amount of habits. Tens of thousands of species are found across every continent except Arabia, they include the largest insects to ever live and as well some of the most unusual. They range from colourful, acid-shooters to huge estuarine grazers, from tiny animals only a few centimetres to massive serpents more than 6 feet long. Countless millions of years of evolution have transformed them into alien creatures seemingly beyond recognition of Earth life. Many forms are unlike any other living organisms to ever exist, with bodies and origins completely unlike other insects. Despite all members being flightless and only a few species willing to venture into oceanic waters, they have spread to every habitat on Earth baring some islands. History The evolutionary history of the lepidovermians is one that is both epically long and complicated. The ancestral clade from which which they descend (known as the paraphyletic group Lepidoptera) are thought to have appeared sometime around 500 million years ago. The early and rare fossils of these "lepidopterans" do not resemble lepidovermians at all; instead of being long and soft-bodied, they were hard-shelled and rather compact. As well they only possessed three pairs of legs and all seemed to have large wings. They had only one pair of sight organs and lacked mandibles entirely. So how is it that these worm-like creatures descended from these animals? The answer is quite simple; neoteny. Sometime 180 MYA or so, some members of a species of lepidopteran gained the ability to breed during their larval stage (which did resemble basal lepidovermians) and thus spread from there. Little can be inferred of lepidovermian evolution because they lack both an endoskeleton and a hard exoskeleton, and thus fossilize very rarely. The few scant fossilized remains and study of modern lepidovermians has helped put together a tentative history of their evolution. Most of the modern radiation of lepidovermians occurred after the end of the Stiliozoic and many competitive insect clades either became extinct or were greatly diminished in diversity. These primitve lepidovermians bred quickly and in large numbers, lived long (for insects) and had indiscriminant diets; as well, they were capable of going without food for many weeks through the ability to enter a state of suspended animation (as some living primitive lepidovermians could). Although they were probably decimated along with the majority of life on Earth, these adaptions certainly helped them make it through better than many other insects, many of which were completely obliterated. With the extinction of most herbivorous insects (as well as most others), they quickly spread into these niches; their fast breeding and relatively long lifespans quickly put them as one of if not the most diverse insect clade at the beginning of the Ultrozoic. It was during the first couple millions of years that the first representatives of modern clades appeared. However, long term they were not capable of keeping up their reign as other surviving insect clades recovered. They still remained as one of the most specious and successful surviving insect clades of the Ultrozoic due to their unique morphology. Description It is very easy to identify a lepidovermian as they do not resemble any other animal. A few types of insect larva and annelid worms do vaguely appear similar to them but it's quite easy to identify lepidovermians. The picture of a Notoian Razorworm above demonstrates the characteristic features of lepidovermians. Being a rather basal species of the clade, it retains many features of the ancestral animal. As with all insects their bodies are seperated into the three parts of head, thorax, and abdomen; although the thorax and the abdomen are rather indistinct from each other. Their legs are seperated into two types, the front legs which are the "true" legs, which are the characteristic 3 pairs of insect legs; the back legs are much different, they are technically not real legs and in many species have since lost their locomotory usage (not in the species pictured of course, as they are needed to help hold up the heavy armoured bulk of the insect). Lepidovermians usually have 2 pairs of eyes, one pair being larger than the other; in the species pictured, they are almost the same size and it retains a simple pair of light-sensing organs (not visible here) that are a remanent of basal lepidovermians that had more eyes. Their exoskeletons are soft, only their heads are hardened in most species; they shed in a different way than insects, instead of coming off in one almost unbroken piece, it flakes off in pieces not unlike ratamas. These features allow for lepidovermians to be highly flexible, both generally and in habits. In this species, much of the hair covering its body has fused into hardened spines which are used both as camouflage and defense against predators. Shearing mandibles allow lepidovermians to quickly shred food into small pieces, be it tough fiberous plant matter or soft vertebrate flesh. Because of their inability to fly, and the continent's complete isolation for such a long period of time, lepidovermians are completely absent from Arabia. Otherwise, they are spread across most places. Over 280 000 species are known from across the planet; although the bulk of their diversity is in forested regions, they are highly adaptable and widespread. They may range from less than half a gram to over 110kg in the largest aquatic forms. They have evolved for a great number of niches; within Lepidovermia there are fossorial, arboreal, parasitic, macropredatory, gliding, marine, parasitoid, and eusocial species to name some. The life cycle of most lepidovermians are similar; they have an incomplete metamorphosis, with no especially prominent differences between the adult and juvenile forms other than colouration and size. Most lepidovermians lay eggs; some forms do give birth however. Parental care is usually minimal, there are of course some exceptions, being such a specious clade. Usually having a much longer average lifespan than other insects, each individual female can potentially produce hundreds of offspring; as such, some species are major pests. Of course, naturally most offspring do not survive to breed, being killed by predators; a great variety of defenses have appeared to help against predation. Some species shoot acid from their rears, others (such as the species pictured) have developed elaborate armour, some live in large groups as protection, while camouflage is utilized by many species. Diversity There are an innumerable amount of different lepidovermians, being one of the most specious and successful groups of living arthropods. Tens of thousands of species fill every niche possible for their morphology, reaching sizes and attaining shapes otherwise impossible for insects (and arthropods in general). Although their lineage is something of a mystery, they have left a mark on this planet that will forever be known. Category:Insects Category:Ultrozoic